Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system including the same

Abstract

To provide a paper processing device capable of securing smooth movement of a guide member while preventing rotation of the guide member when providing the guide member movable in the width direction of paper, and an image forming system including the same.SOLUTION: A cutter device includes rotary blade units 231 and 232 that support rotary blades 231a and 232a so as to be rotatable about a rotary shaft 3132, a guide member 50 that is supported by the rotary shaft 3132 and guides a part of a sheet, and a detent member 60 that prevents rotation of the guide member 50, and the detent member 60 is provided in a rotary blade unit (cutter casing 70) that is movable in an axial direction of the rotary shaft together with the rotary blade unit 231 while being prevented from rotating about the rotary shaft 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper processing apparatus and an image forming system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A paper processing device is known that cuts paper in the conveyance direction by rubbing an upper rotary blade against a lower rotary blade, and divides the paper into multiple pieces in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such devices, a guide member is provided to guide the paper to a predetermined transport path, and this guide member prevents weak paper from sagging and folding the corners of the paper as it is transported. The guide members include fixed guide members that are fixed in a predetermined position and movable guide members that can move in the width direction of the paper. Since the fixed guide members are located at the end of the blade housing that houses the rotary blade in the conveying direction, the paper cannot be supported within the blade housing after it enters the blade housing. For this reason, it is effective to provide a movable guide member on the outside of the blade housing and use this movable guide member to prevent the paper from sagging, etc. This movable guide member is movable in the axial direction of the rotary blade outside the blade housing that houses the rotary blade, and by supporting the paper outside the blade housing after it enters the blade housing, it is possible to reliably prevent the paper from being bent. However, because the movable guide member is located on the rotation shaft that supports the rotary blade, without a rotation stopper, it will rotate with the rotation of the rotation shaft, and the position of the guide member will not be able to be maintained. 21, support rails 91, 92 that are substantially parallel to the rotation shafts 31, 32 that support the blade housings R1 to R4 are provided across the entire width between the opposing side plates 21a, 21b of the unit housing 21. A moving guide member 90 is slidably engaged with the support rails 91, 92 to prevent rotation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-91278 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the anti-rotation support rail is located radially outward of the rotary blade to avoid interference with the rotary blade. Therefore, when the guide member is biased near the rotary shaft to move axially, the point where the guide member is biased and the point where the guide member is engaged with the support rail are far apart in the radial direction, resulting in a large rotational moment acting on the engaging point of the support rail. As a result, twisting occurs between the rotary shaft and the support rail, and the guide member becomes distorted (rubbed), hindering smooth movement of the guide member and causing malfunctions.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a paper processing device that, when providing a guide member that can move in the width direction of the paper, can prevent the guide member from rotating while ensuring smooth movement of the guide member in the axial direction, and an image forming system equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a paper processing apparatus according to the present invention is a paper processing apparatus that processes paper using a rotary blade, a rotary blade unit that supports the rotary blade rotatably around a rotation shaft and is movable in an axial direction of the rotation shaft; a guide member supported by the rotary shaft and configured to guide a portion of the paper; a rotation prevention member that prevents rotation of the guide member, The rotation-stop member is provided on the rotary blade unit.

[0008] Therefore, since the anti-rotation member that prevents the rotation of the guide member is provided on the rotary blade unit that supports the rotary blade rotatably around the rotary shaft and is movable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft, it is possible to shorten the distance between the rotary shaft that supports the rotary blade and the anti-rotation member.As a result, even when the guide member is moved by biasing it near the rotary shaft, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of twisting between the rotary shaft and the anti-rotation member or rubbing of the guide member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above configuration, the anti-rotation member that prevents the guide member that guides the paper from rotating is provided on the rotary blade unit that rotatably supports the rotary blade and is movable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft, so the distance between the rotary shaft and the anti-rotation member can be shortened, thereby preventing the guide member from rotating while ensuring smooth axial movement of the guide member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] Advantages and features provided by embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example and are not intended to be limiting of the invention. [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control structure of the image forming system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a slitter (variable slitter width) according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the upstream side in the sheet transport direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a slitter (variable slitter width) according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the downstream side in the sheet transport direction. [Figure 5] 1 is a top view of the inside of a slitter (variable slitter width) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cutter used in the slitter according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a drive mechanism that rotates a rotation shaft of the slitter according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a perspective view of a drive mechanism that drives each cutter in the axial direction of a rotation shaft, as viewed from the upstream side in the paper transport direction. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a plan view illustrating a drive mechanism that drives each cutter in the axial direction of the rotation shaft. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a view of a portion of a slitter according to the present invention where a cutter is provided, viewed from the upstream side in the paper conveying direction. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of one of the cutters of the slitter according to the present invention, seen from the upstream side in the paper transport direction. FIG. [Figure 12] 1 is a view of a portion of a slitter according to the present invention where a cutter is provided, viewed from the downstream side in the paper conveying direction. [Figure 13] 1 is a top view of a portion of a slitter according to the present invention where cutters are provided. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a pair of upper and lower moving guide members according to the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a view showing a state in which the moving guide member is supported by upper and lower rotary shafts on the upstream and downstream sides, as viewed from the axial direction of the rotary shafts. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a rotation prevention member is fixed to a side plate fixed to a blade housing (upper housing, lower housing). FIG. [Figure 17] 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the anti-rotation member of FIG. 16 is attached to a moving guide member so as to be able to be locked thereto. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a blade housing that houses the rotary blade unit, a side plate, a rotation prevention member, and a movement guide member in a state before assembly. [Figure 19] 10 is a plan view showing a state before assembly of a blade housing that houses a rotary blade unit, a side plate, a rotation prevention member, and a movement guide member. FIG. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a spring member elastically mounted between a blade housing that houses a rotary blade unit and a movement guide member and other spring members. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a rotation-stop member applied to a conventional movement guide member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 100, a relay unit RU, a paper processing apparatus 200, and a finisher FS.

[0012] Image forming apparatus 100 forms a color image by electrophotography based on image data obtained by reading an image from an original or image data received from an external device. Image forming apparatus 100 has an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, an original reading unit 13, an image forming unit 14, a paper feed unit 15, an image formation control unit 16, a storage unit 17, a controller IF (Interface) 18, and an image processing unit 19.

[0013] The operation unit 11 includes a touch panel formed to cover the display screen of the display unit 12, and various operation buttons such as numeric buttons and a start button, and outputs an operation signal to the image formation control unit 16 based on a user's operation.

[0014] The display unit 12 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various screens according to instructions of a display signal input from the image formation control unit 16.

[0015] The document reading unit 13 includes an ADF (automatic document feeder), a scanner, etc., and outputs image data obtained by reading an image of a document to the image formation control unit 16.

[0016] Based on the image-processed image data, the image forming unit 14 forms an image on paper supplied from the paper feed unit 15. The image forming unit is configured to include photosensitive drums 141Y, 141M, 141C, and 141K corresponding to the colors yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), an intermediate transfer belt 142, a secondary transfer roller 143, a fixing unit 144, a density sensor 145, and the like.

[0017] After being uniformly charged, the photosensitive drum 141Y is scanned and exposed to a laser beam based on yellow image data, forming an electrostatic latent image. Then, yellow is applied to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, and development is performed. The other photosensitive drums 141M, 141C, and 141K undergo the same process as the photosensitive drum 141Y, except that the colors they handle are different.

[0018] The toner images of each color formed on the photosensitive drums 141Y, 141M, 141C, and 141K are transferred one by one (primary transfer) onto the rotating intermediate transfer belt 142. That is, a color toner image in which the toner images of four colors are superimposed is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 142. The color toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 142 are transferred all at once onto a sheet of paper by the secondary transfer roller 143 (secondary transfer). The fixing unit 144 includes a heating roller that heats the paper onto which the color toner image has been transferred, and a pressure roller that presses the paper, and fixes the color toner image onto the paper by applying heat and pressure.

[0019] The paper feed unit 15 includes paper feed trays T11 to T13, and supplies paper to the image forming unit 14. Each of the paper feed trays T11 to T13 stores paper of a paper type and size predetermined for that paper feed tray.

[0020] The image forming control unit 16 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, and a memory. The CPU reads various processing programs stored in the ROM and, according to the programs, controls the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 100. When performing paper processing on output paper, the CPU also issues an instruction to the paper processing control unit 220 of the paper processing apparatus 200 to execute the specified paper processing.

[0021] The sheet processing device 200 is a device that performs sheet processing as needed on sheets output from the relay unit RU. Examples of sheet processing include slitter processing, gutter slitter processing, CD cutting processing, crease processing, and FD / CD perforation processing. These sheet processing operations are not required, and are performed only when instructed by the image forming device 100. If no sheet processing operation is required, the sheet processing device 200 simply transports the transported sheet to the finisher FS.

[0022] The paper processing device 200 has a paper transport section 210, functional units (paper processing modules) U1 to U4, a purge tray T1 that ejects paper to be purged from the paper processing device 200, and a card tray T2 that ejects paper that has been cut to a predetermined size by the paper processing device 200. The paper transport section 210 transports the paper transported from the relay unit RU to the functional units U1 to U4, and then transports the paper that has undergone paper processing in the functional units to various trays (purged tray T1, card tray T2) or the finisher FS.

[0023] The paper transport section 210 includes a long paper transport section 211 and a purge transport section 212. The paper transport section 210 is configured with multiple transport roller pairs 213 and includes transport paths 214-217 as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the paper transport section 210 includes a straight transport path 214 that corrects any skew in the paper being transported to the functional unit U1, and a detour path 215 that detours the long paper being transported to the functional unit U1 to align it in the CD direction (paper width direction). The paper transport section 210 also includes a reversing discharge path 216 that reverses the paper after it has been processed by the functional units U1-U4 and discharges it to the finisher FS, and a dual-purpose path 217 that serves as both a discharge path for discharging paper to the purge tray T1 and a reversing path for reversing the paper. The paper transport section 210 transports print paper transported from the image forming apparatus 100 to the paper processing section (functional units U1 to U4) by a plurality of transport roller pairs 213. The paper transport section 210 also transports print paper that has undergone paper processing to the finisher FS. In the finisher FS, the paper after image formation is stapled, folded, punched, etc.

[0024] The functional units U1 to U4 perform paper processing on the transported paper P. The functional units U1 to U4 are manually selected and installed by the user. For example, the most upstream functional unit U1 may be a top and bottom slitter, and the most downstream functional unit U4 may be a CD cutter (CD cutting unit) for CD cutting. In this case, the functional units U2 and U3 may be selected from among a gutter slitter, a creaser (bottom convex) or a creaser (top convex), an FD perforation or a CD perforation, etc. The gutter cutter has the function of trimming the margins between adjacent products in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction along the transport direction. The creaser (convex downward) or creaser (convex upward) has the function of creasing (creasing) the paper. The FD perforation or CD perforation has the function of performing FD / CD perforation processing to make perforations in the paper.

[0025] The functional units U1 to U4 described above are modules selected by the user according to the functions required and detachably mounted on unit housing receivers, so that the required functions can be completed on a module-by-module basis. Of these, the one shown in Figure 3 is a variable-width slitter 20, which is a type of slitter that can cut by adjusting the slitter width.

[0026] The variable slitter width 20 will be described in detail below. Note that the paper transport direction may be referred to as the front-to-rear direction of the paper, the upstream side of the paper transport direction as the front side of the paper, and the downstream side of the paper transport direction as the rear side. Also, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction may be referred to as the left-to-right direction of the paper.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the variable groove width slitter 20 includes a plurality of cutters 23, 24, 25, and 26 for cutting grooves when dividing the paper P into a plurality of pieces in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. That is, in the unit housing 21, a plurality of cutters are arranged at different positions in the conveying direction of the paper conveyed by the paper conveying section 210, and a plurality of sets of cutters are provided at different positions in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the paper. In this example, the cutters (23 and 24, 25 and 26) are arranged at two different locations in the paper transport direction. Two pairs of cutters (23 and 24, 25 and 26) are provided, arranged at different positions in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cutters 23, 24, 25, and 26 are provided at four locations in the unit housing 21: front, rear, left and right in the paper transport direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, each of the cutters 23, 24, 25, and 26 is supported by a pair of upper and lower rotation shafts (31 and 32, 33 and 34) that extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. Two sets of upper and lower rotation shafts (31 and 32, 33 and 34) are provided at a predetermined interval in front of and behind the paper transport direction. The rotation shafts are arranged parallel to each other.

[0029] Upper blade units 231, 241, 251, 261 as rotary sliders having upper cutter blades 231a, 241a, 251a, 261a are provided on the upper rotary shafts 31, 33 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the rotary shafts 31, 33. Lower blade units 232, 242, 252, 262 as rotary sliders having lower cutter blades 232a, 242a, 252a, 262a are provided on the lower rotary shafts 32, 34 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the rotary shafts 32, 34.

[0030] An upper housing 71 is attached around the upper blade units 231, 241, 251, and 261. A lower housing 72 is attached around the lower blade units 232, 242, 252, and 262. These blade housings 70 (upper housing 71 and lower housing 72) are connected by a connecting member 73 (shown in FIG. 4). This allows the upper blade units 231, 241, 251, and 261 and the lower blade units 232, 242, 252, and 262 to slide integrally on the rotation axis. The upper and lower housings 71 and 72 support upper blade units 231, 241, 251, and 261 (upper cutter blades 231a, 241a, 251a, and 261a) and lower blade units 232, 242, 252, and 262 (lower cutter blades 232a, 242a, 252a, and 262a) that are paired vertically so that they can rotate about a rotation axis.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, the rotary shafts 31, 32, 33, and 34 are simultaneously rotated by a drive motor 35, which is a common power source. The drive motor 35 is installed on the outside of one of the pair of side walls 21a, 21b that form a longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21. The motor shaft 35a of the drive motor 35 protrudes into the unit housing 21 through the side wall 21a. The four rotary shafts 31 to 34 are arranged below the motor shaft 35a at predetermined intervals in the paper transport direction (front-to-back direction) and in the up-down direction. The rotary shafts 31 to 34 are arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21. The rotary shafts 31 to 34 are rotatably supported by the pair of side walls 21a, 21b that face each other in the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21. The rotary shafts 31 to 34 are simultaneously rotated by a series of gears.

[0032] The drive motor 35 has a drive gear 36 attached to its motor shaft 35a that meshes with a large-diameter gear 37a of a reduction gear 37, which is formed by a large-diameter gear 37a and a small-diameter pinion 37b that are concentrically integrated. Furthermore, the pinion 37b meshes with transmission gears 41 and 43 that are fitted onto the upper rotating shafts 31 and 33 of two pairs of upper and lower rotating shafts (31 and 32, 33 and 34). Furthermore, the upper transmission gears 41 and 43 mesh with transmission gears 42 and 44 that are fitted onto the lower rotating shafts 32 and 34 of the two pairs of upper and lower rotating shafts.

[0033] Therefore, when drive motor 35 rotates, the rotational power of drive motor 35 is transmitted to upper transmission gears 41 and 43 via reduction gear 37. The rotational power is further transmitted to lower transmission gears 42 and 44 via upper transmission gears 41 and 43. This causes the four rotary shafts 31 to 34 to rotate simultaneously. As a result, the upper and lower pairs of cutter blades 231a, 232a, 251a, and 252a on the upstream side cut one side of the cut-off area of ​​the paper conveyed between them. Meanwhile, the upper and lower pairs of cutter blades 241a, 242a, 261a, and 262a on the downstream side cut the other side of the cut-off area of ​​the paper conveyed between them.

[0034] (Drive mechanism for upper blade unit and lower blade unit) The upper blade units 231, 241, 251, 261 and lower blade units 232, 242, 252, 262, which are paired vertically, are linked in the axial position of the rotation shaft by a connecting member 73 attached to the upper housing 71 and the lower housing 72. Therefore, the upper cutter blades 231a, 241a, 251a, 261a and the lower cutter blades 232a, 242a, 252a, 262a are able to slide axially on the rotation shaft while remaining axially connected. The upper blade units, lower blade units, and the blade housing 70 (upper housing 71, lower housing 72) that houses them constitute the rotary blade unit X (which may also include additional members such as sheet metal). The rotary blade unit X is slidable in the axial direction of the rotary shafts 31 to 34 by a driving belt fixed to the upper housing 71.

[0035] The left and right cutters 23 and 25 on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the left and right cutters 24 and 26 on the downstream side in the conveying direction are belt-driven by separate drive motors 311, 321, 331, and 341 as power sources, as shown in FIGS. Of the cutters 23 and 25 on the upstream side in the conveying direction, the drive mechanism A that drives the left cutter 23 as seen from the upstream side has the following configuration. (1) The first drive motor 311 is provided on the left side of the upper center of the unit housing 21 when viewed from the upstream side. (2) A first drive pulley 312 fixed to the motor shaft of the first drive motor 311 (3) A first intermediate pulley 313 is disposed near one end of the unit housing 21 in the longitudinal direction (the left side when viewed from the upstream side), above the upper rotary shaft 31 and below the first drive pulley 312, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor axis of the first drive motor 311. (4) A first end pulley 314 is disposed above the upper rotary shaft 31 at approximately the center of the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor shaft of the first drive motor 311. (5) A first endless belt 315 stretched between the first driving pulley 312 and the first intermediate pulley 313 (6) A second endless belt 316 stretched between the first intermediate pulley 313 and the first end pulley 314

[0036] The upper part of the upper housing 71, which is engaged with the upper blade unit 231 constituting the cutter 23, is fixed to the second endless belt 316. Therefore, the axial position of the rotation shafts 31 and 32 of the left cutter 23 as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction is adjusted by controlling the first drive motor 301.

[0037] Of the cutters on the upstream side in the conveying direction, the drive mechanism B that moves the right cutter 25 as seen from the upstream side has the following configuration. (1) The second drive motor 321 is provided on the right side of the upper center of the unit housing 21 when viewed from the upstream side. (2) A second drive pulley 322 fixed to the motor shaft of the second drive motor 321 (3) A second intermediate pulley 323 is disposed near the other end of the unit housing 21 in the longitudinal direction (the right side as viewed from the upstream side), above the upper rotary shaft 31 and below the second drive pulley 322, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor shaft of the second drive motor 321. (4) A second end pulley 324 is disposed above the upper rotary shaft 31 at approximately the center of the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor shaft of the second drive motor 321. (5) A third endless belt 325 stretched between the second driving pulley 322 and the second intermediate pulley 323 (6) A fourth endless belt 326 stretched between the second intermediate pulley 323 and the second end pulley 324

[0038] The upper part of the upper housing 71, which is engaged with the upper blade unit 251 constituting the cutter 25, is fixed to the fourth endless belt 326. Therefore, the axial position of the rotation shafts 31 and 32 of the cutter 25 on the right side as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction is adjusted by controlling the second drive motor 321.

[0039] Of the cutters on the downstream side in the conveying direction, the drive mechanism C that moves the left cutter 24 as seen from the upstream side has the following configuration. (1) The third drive motor 331 is provided at the upper portion near the left end of the unit housing 21 when viewed from the upstream side in the longitudinal direction. (2) A third drive pulley 332 fixed to the motor shaft of the third drive motor 331 (3) A third intermediate pulley 333 is disposed near the right end of the unit housing 21 when viewed from the downstream side in the longitudinal direction, above the upper rotary shaft 33 and below the third drive pulley 332, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor axis of the third drive motor 331. (4) A third end pulley 334 is disposed above the upper rotary shaft 33 at approximately the center of the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor axis of the third drive motor 331. (5) A fifth endless belt 335 stretched between the third drive pulley 332 and the third intermediate pulley 333 (6) A sixth endless belt 336 stretched between the third intermediate pulley 333 and the third end pulley 334

[0040] The upper part of the upper housing 71, which is engaged with the upper blade unit 241 constituting the left cutter 24 as seen from the upstream side of the downstream side in the conveying direction, is fixed to the sixth endless belt 336. Therefore, the axial position on the rotation shafts 33, 34 of the right cutter 24 as seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction is adjusted by controlling the third drive motor 331.

[0041] Of the cutters on the downstream side in the conveying direction, the drive mechanism D that drives the right cutter 26 as seen from the upstream side has the following configuration. (1) A fourth drive motor 341 provided at the upper portion near the left end of the unit housing 21 when viewed from the downstream side in the longitudinal direction. (2) A fourth drive pulley 342 fixed to the motor shaft of the fourth drive motor 341 (3) A fourth intermediate pulley 343 is disposed near the left end of the unit housing 21 when viewed from the downstream side in the longitudinal direction, above the upper rotary shaft 33 and below the fourth drive pulley 342, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor axis of the fourth drive motor 341. (4) A fourth end pulley 344 is disposed above the upper rotary shaft 33 at approximately the center of the longitudinal direction of the unit housing 21, and is disposed rotatably around an axis parallel to the motor axis of the fourth drive motor 341. (5) A seventh endless belt 345 stretched between the fourth drive pulley 342 and the fourth intermediate pulley 343 (6) An eighth endless belt 346 stretched between the fourth intermediate pulley 343 and the fourth end pulley 344

[0042] The upper part of the upper housing 71, which is engaged with the upper blade unit 261 constituting the right cutter 26 as seen from the upstream side of the downstream side in the conveying direction, is fixed to the eighth endless belt 346. Therefore, the axial position on the rotation shafts 33, 34 of the left cutter 26 as seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction is adjusted by controlling the fourth drive motor 341.

[0043] In this example, the first intermediate pulley 313 is a double-type pulley on which the first endless belt 315 and the second endless belt 316 are wound. The second intermediate pulley 323 is a double-type pulley on which the third endless belt 325 and the fourth endless belt 326 are wound. The third intermediate pulley 333 is a double-type pulley on which the fifth endless belt 335 and the sixth endless belt 336 are wound. The fourth intermediate pulley 343 is a double-type pulley on which the seventh endless belt 345 and the eighth endless belt 346 are wound. The first end pulley 314, the second end pulley 324, the third end pulley 334, and the fourth end pulley 344 are provided coaxially and independently rotatably.

[0044] Therefore, the blade housing 70 (upper housing 71, lower housing 72) constituting the rotary blade unit X of each cutter has the upper housing 71 fixed to the endless belt, and the upper housing 71 and the lower housing 72 connected by a connecting member 73. Therefore, the rotary blade unit X is prevented from rotating around the rotation shafts 31 to 34, but is movable in the axial direction of the rotation shafts.

[0045] In addition, in the above configuration example, two pairs of cutters (an upstream cutter and a downstream cutter) are arranged at two different locations in the paper transport direction, in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and each cutter in each pair can move independently in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Therefore, by controlling at least one of the first drive motor 311 and the third drive motor 331, the width of one of the ditch can be adjusted by the pair of cutters 23, 24 on the left side in the conveying direction (the right side when viewed from the downstream side). Also, by controlling at least one of the second drive motor 321 and the fourth drive motor 341, the width of the other ditch can be adjusted by the pair of cutters 25, 26 on the right side in the conveying direction (the left side when viewed from the downstream side). Also, when only the upstream cutters 23, 25 or the downstream cutters 24, 26 are used, it is possible to cut the paper without a ditch. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to adjust the gap width and cut the paper using a single unit (variable gap width slitter 20), so that it is possible to create commercial products of various sizes from a single paper size without using multiple units.

[0046] (Fixed guide member) As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cutters 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the variable slitter 20 are provided with fixed guide members 45 and 46 fixed to predetermined positions of the upper and lower housings 71 and 72, respectively. The fixed guide members 45, 46 are attached to the bottom of the upper housing 71 and the top of the lower housing 72 by appropriate fixing means such as screws. The upstream ends of the fixed guide members 45, 46 are provided with tapered portions 45a, 46a that vertically increase the size of the paper receiving opening toward the upstream side. That is, the fixed guide member 45 attached to the bottom of the upper housing 71 has a tapered portion 45a formed at its upstream end that slopes upward toward the upstream side. Meanwhile, the fixed guide member 46 attached to the top of the lower housing 72 has a tapered portion 46a formed at its upstream end that slopes downward toward the upstream side.

[0047] The fixed guide members 45, 46 are formed from at least the upstream end faces of the upper housing 71 and the lower housing 72 to the portions facing the conveying path α (see also FIG. 6) between the upper housing 71 and the lower housing 72. That is, the fixed guide member 45 provided on the upper housing 71 is attached so as to cover at least the upstream end face of the upper housing 71 to the lower end opening of the upper housing 71 and not to interfere with the upper cutter blades 231a, 241a. The fixed guide member 46 provided on the lower housing 72 is attached so as to cover the upstream end face of the lower housing 72 to the upper end opening of the lower housing 72 and not to interfere with the lower cutter blades 232a, 242a.

[0048] The shapes of the fixed guide members 45, 46 are appropriately adjusted to avoid interference with other members between the upstream and downstream blade housings, between the upper and lower housings, and on the right and left sides in the conveying direction. It is preferable to provide a plurality of these fixed guide members 45, 46 at the bottom of each upper housing 71 and at the top of each lower housing 72 along the axial direction of the rotation shafts 31, 32, 33, and 34.

[0049] Therefore, by attaching these fixed guide members 45, 46, the paper transported from the upstream side is reliably guided by the upper and lower tapered portions 45a, 46a to the transport path α between the upper blade units 231, 241, 251, 261 (upper housing 71) and the lower blade units 232, 242, 252, 262 (lower housing 72). Also, by adjusting the distance between the opposing upper and lower guide members, the paper can be held when it is cut by the cutter, allowing the paper to be cut smoothly.

[0050] (moving guide member) The fixed guide members 45, 46 described above are attached to the blade housing 70 and only guide or support the paper locally in the housing portion, so that the guide or support function may not be sufficiently ensured when viewed from the perspective of the entire paper. Also, if the fixed guide members are provided only at the upstream end of the blade housing 70, they cannot support the paper after it enters the conveying path α between the upper housing 71 and the lower housing 72. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6, 10 to 13, for each rotary blade unit X (upper blade unit, lower blade unit, blade housing), a movable guide member 50 that is movable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft is provided at a location on both sides of the rotary shaft.

[0051] 14 and 15, the movable guide member 50 includes two types of movable guide members 501 and 502 that are mirror images of each other. When one movable guide member (501 or 502) is attached to the upper rotating shaft of a pair of upper and lower rotating shafts (31 and 32, 33 and 34), the other movable guide member (502 or 501) is attached to the lower rotating shaft, and the movable guide members are provided to form a pair above and below.

[0052] Each moving guide member 50 (501, 502) has an insertion hole 51 at its approximate center, through which the rotation shaft 31, 32, 33, 34 is inserted, and a plate-like portion 52 formed in a plate shape approximately perpendicular to the rotation shaft. A guide piece 53 is provided at one end of this plate-like portion 52, protruding approximately perpendicular to the plate-like portion and extending approximately parallel to the rotation shaft by a predetermined width, from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. This guide piece 53 is narrow in the middle of the conveying direction and wide at the upstream and downstream ends. The upstream wide portion 53a and the downstream wide portion 53b each have tapered portions 531a, 531b that vertically increase the width of the paper receiving opening toward the upstream side.

[0053] The movable guide members 50 are mounted on the rotation shafts 31 and 33 of the upper blade unit and the rotation shafts 32 and 34 of the lower blade unit, with their guide pieces 50 facing each other with a predetermined gap between them. That is, the upper and lower pair of movable guide members 501 and 502 are arranged so that the tapered portions 531a and 521b of their guide pieces 50 face upstream, and the portions excluding the tapered portions face each other substantially parallel. This allows paper passing between the pair of movable guide members 501 and 502 to be continuously supported from the upstream side to the downstream side of the movable guide members. In this example, the movable guide member 50 has a guide piece 53 protruding from the side opposite the side facing the rotary blade unit X.

[0054] The movable guide member 50 is disposed on the rotation shaft 31 to 34 so as to be slidable. A plurality of annular rollers 80 are disposed on the rotation shaft together with the movable guide member 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 8). Spring members (not shown) are resiliently mounted to cover the rotation shaft between the rotary blade unit X (blade housing 70) and the movable guide member 50, between the movable guide member 50 and the rollers 80, and between adjacent rollers 80. The movable guide members 50 are disposed on both sides of the rotary blade unit X (blade housing 70) on the rotation shaft, and their positions on the rotation shaft are determined by the balance of the biasing forces of the spring members disposed at various points on the rotation shaft (this point will be described later).

[0055] However, because the rotation shafts 31, 32, 33, and 34 rotate, if the movable guide member 50 were to be supported solely by the rotation shafts 31 to 34, the movable guide member 50 would rotate about the rotation shafts 31 to 34, impairing its ability to support the paper. Therefore, a rotation-stop member 60 is provided to prevent the movable guide member 50 from rotating. If the rotation-stop member 60 were provided parallel to the rotation shaft across the entire width of the unit housing 21, as in the conventional case, the distance between the rotation shafts 31 to 34 and the rotation-stop member 60 would be long to avoid interference with the rotary blade. Therefore, if a spring member were to bias the vicinity of the rotation shaft of the movable guide member 50 in the rotation axis direction, the rotation moment acting on the tip of the movable guide member 50 would increase, making it more likely that twisting would occur between the rotation shaft and the rotation-stop member, or that the movable guide member 50 would become distorted (rubbed).

[0056] Therefore, the anti-rotation member 60 is provided on the rotary blade unit X. This allows the anti-rotation member 60 to be provided close to the rotation shaft, making it possible to prevent twisting between the rotation shaft and the anti-rotation member and kinking of the movement guide member 50, and ensuring smooth movement of the guide member 50. To achieve this configuration, a side plate 61 is fixed to the side surface of the blade housing 70 constituting the rotary blade unit X, through which the rotation shaft passes, and a rotation-preventing member 60 is fixed to this side plate 61, and this rotation-preventing member 60 is engaged with the plate-shaped portion 52 of the movement guide member 50. This rotation-preventing member 60 is formed, for example, by a locking pin having a circular cross section, and is attached approximately perpendicular to the side plate 61 so as to be parallel to the rotation shaft. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 16 to 19 , the side plate 61 is fixed by a screw 62 or the like to the side surface of the blade housing 70, through which the rotation shafts 31 to 34 pass, so as not to interfere with the rotation shafts 31 to 34, and one end of the rotation-preventing member 60 is fixed to this side plate 61 by appropriate means, such as caulking.

[0057] Furthermore, the moving guide members 50 provided between adjacent rotary blade units X (blade housings 70) on the rotation axis move closer to each other when the adjacent rotary blade units X (blade housings 70) move closer to each other. For this reason, the anti-rotation members 60 of the moving guide members 50 that are close to each other are provided offset with respect to a vertical plane including the rotation axis so that they do not interfere with each other. That is, the anti-rotation members 60 provided on the side plates 61 of adjacent blade housings 70 on the rotation axis are offset by a predetermined amount to either the upstream or downstream side with respect to a vertical plane including the rotation axis, while the anti-rotation member 60 provided on the other housing is offset by a predetermined amount to either the upstream or downstream side with respect to a vertical plane including the rotation axis.

[0058] Accordingly, the position where the anti-rotation member 60 of the movable guide member 50 engages is not necessarily the same. For this reason, through holes 55 are provided at the other end of the plate-shaped portion 52 of the movable guide member 50 at positions that are shifted upstream and downstream with respect to a vertical plane including the rotation axis by the same offset amount as the anti-rotation member 60. Then, a positioning member 60 is inserted into one of these through holes 55 and engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 55.

[0059] With this configuration of the movable guide member 50, it is possible to accommodate whether the anti-rotation member 60 is attached to the upstream or downstream side of the side plate 52 without replacing the movable guide member 50, making it possible to use only the two types of movable guide member 50 mentioned above in common. Furthermore, even if adjacent movable guide members 50 are close to each other, the anti-rotation members 60 provided on each movable guide member 50 do not interfere with each other, so it is possible to ensure a large range of movement of the movable guide members 50. The anti-rotation member 60 inserted through the through hole 55 has a locking ring attached to the insertion end, which prevents the anti-rotation member from coming off the movable guide member, supports the movable guide member 50 so that it can move within the axial length of the anti-rotation member 60, and maintains the engaged state of the movable guide member 50 with respect to the anti-rotation member 60.

[0060] The movable guide members 50 are arranged on both sides of the rotary blade unit X (blade housing 70) of the rotary shaft, and their positions on the rotary shaft are determined by the balance of the biasing forces of spring members arranged at various points on the rotary shaft. An example is shown in Figure 20. While Figure 20 shows the positioning mechanism for one movable guide member, the other movable guide members have a similar configuration. Between the blade housing 70, which slides on the rotation shaft, and the bearing 82, which supports the rotation shaft, the above-mentioned moving guide member 50 is supported in a state in which its rotation is prevented by the anti-rotation member 60. Between the moving guide member 50 and the bearing 82, a plurality of rollers (five in this example) are provided slidably at equal intervals on the rotation shaft.

[0061] A spring member S1 is disposed around the rotation axis between the blade housing 70 and the movement guide member 50. In addition, spring members S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, and S7 made of compression springs are disposed between the bearing 82 and the adjacent roller, and between adjacent rollers. Therefore, when the rotary blade unit X moves on the rotation axis, the anti-rotation member 60, which is fixed via the side plate 61, also moves. At this time, the balance of spring forces between the spring member S1 elastically mounted between the blade housing 70 and the movable guide member 50 and the spring members S2 to S5 arranged on the opposite side of the movable guide member 50 from the rotary blade unit X (blade housing 70) fluctuates, and the relative position of the movable guide member 50 with respect to the anti-rotation member 60 also changes.

[0062] Here, if the spring forces of the spring members S1 to S7 arranged on the rotation shaft are not appropriately adjusted, the moving guide member 50 will be pressed against the tip of the anti-rotation member 60 as the rotary blade unit X (blade housing 70) moves, and may become stuck, hindering smooth movement on the rotation shaft. Therefore, the combined spring constant of the multiple spring members S2 to S7 arranged on the opposite side of the moving guide member 50 from the blade housing 70 is made larger than the spring constant of the spring member S1 arranged between the guide member 50 and the blade housing 70. By setting the spring constant in this manner, even if the blade housing 70 moves to the right in the figure, it is possible to prevent the movement guide member 50 from being stopped at the left end by the anti-rotation member 60. In other words, the movement guide member 50 is pressed by the spring members S1 to S7 so as to be held inside the end of the anti-rotation member 60. Therefore, the problem of the smooth movement of the moving guide member 50 on the rotation axis and the rotation stop member 60 being hindered is eliminated.

[0063] As described above, the paper-sheet processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment is a paper-sheet processing apparatus that processes paper sheets using rotary blades (upper cutter blades 231a, 241a, 251a, 261a, lower cutter blades 232a, 242a, 252a, 262a), a rotary blade unit X that supports the rotary blade so that the rotary blade is rotatable around the rotation shafts 31 to 34; a guide member 50 that is supported on a rotary shaft and guides a part of the paper; and a rotation prevention member (60) that prevents the guide member (50) from rotating. The rotation stopper member 60 is provided on the rotary blade unit X. Here, the rotary blades (upper cutter blades 231a, 241a, 251a, 261a, lower cutter blades 232a, 242a, 252a, 262a) are included in upper blade units 231, 241, 251, 261 and lower blade units 232, 242, 252, 262. The rotary blade unit X includes the upper blade unit, the lower blade unit, and a blade housing 70 (upper housing 71, lower housing 72) that rotatably supports the upper blade unit and the lower blade unit. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the distance between the rotating shaft and the anti-rotation member, so that even when the guide member is moved by applying force near the rotating shaft, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of twisting between the rotating shaft and the anti-rotation member or distortion (rubbing) of the guide member.

[0064] Here, the anti-rotation member 60 is preferably provided on a side surface in the rotation axis direction of the housing (blade housing 70) of the rotary blade unit X. This makes it possible to make the distance between the rotation axis and the anti-rotation member as small as possible. The anti-rotation member 60 may be provided parallel to the rotation axis on a side plate 61 in the rotation axis direction of the housing (blade housing 70) of the rotary blade unit X. By attaching the anti-rotation member to the side plate in advance, the anti-rotation member 60 can be easily attached to the housing of the rotary blade unit X.

[0065] The anti-rotation member 60 can be installed on a separate member provided on the blade housing 70, but in order to avoid an increase in the number of parts and reduce assembly errors, it is preferable to install it on the blade housing that constitutes the rotary blade unit X.

[0066] The anti-rotation member 60 is preferably provided on a side plate in the rotation axis direction of the rotary blade unit X, parallel to the rotation axis, and is a member on which the guide member 50 can slide. When the position of the guide member relative to the position of the rotary blade unit is variable, the anti-rotation function of the guide member can be maintained by sliding the guide member against the anti-rotation member. The guide member may be supported so as to be movable in the axial direction within the range of the axial length of the anti-rotation member. In this configuration, the guide member will not come off the anti-rotation member as the guide member moves in the axial direction, and the anti-rotation function of the guide member will not be impaired, which will affect paper cutting.

[0067] Here, the guide member may be supported by a spring member disposed on the rotary shaft so as to be movable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft. With this configuration, the position of the guide member is determined according to the biasing force of the spring member, making it possible to stabilize the position of the guide member.

[0068] Additionally, it is preferable to provide guide members and multiple rollers slidably on the rotary shaft of the rotary blade unit X on both sides of the rotary shaft. If only one side of the rotary blade unit is provided in the direction of the rotary shaft, the paper will not be adequately guided on the side where the guide members are not provided. In contrast, if guide members are provided on both sides of the rotary blade unit in the direction of the rotary shaft, it is possible to reliably guide (support) the paper near its edges, ensuring smooth paper transport and cutting.

[0069] Here, the guide member may be provided adjacent to the rotary blade unit X, and the rollers may be provided on the opposite side of the guide member from the rotary blade unit X. The spring member may be disposed between the rotary blade unit X and the guide member, or between members on the opposite side of the guide member from the rotary blade unit X. With this configuration, by adjusting the spring member provided on the rotary blade unit side and the spring member provided on the roller side, with the guide member as the boundary, it is possible to hold the guide member in a predetermined position relative to each roller and rotary blade unit via the spring member.

[0070] In this case, it is preferable that the combined spring constant of the spring member disposed on the opposite side of the guide member from the rotary blade unit X is set to be greater than the spring constant of the spring member disposed between the guide member and the rotary blade unit X. By setting it in this way, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of the guide member stopping at the end of the anti-rotation member.

[0071] The device also includes a unit housing 21 that supports the rotation shaft, and the rotation stop member 60 is provided in a partial area of ​​the rotation shaft that is supported by the unit housing 21. That is, the rotation-stop member 60 is not provided over the entire width of the unit housing 21 in the rotation axis direction, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the module due to the provision of the rotation-stop member 60.

[0072] A plurality of rotary blade units X (upper blade units 231, 241, 251, 261, lower blade units 232, 242, 252, 262, housing 70) may be arranged on the rotation shaft. Rotation stop members are provided on the opposing side surfaces of adjacent rotary blade units X on the rotation shaft, and the rotation stop members provided on the opposing side surfaces are preferably offset in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft to prevent collision. Furthermore, a plurality of rotary blade units X may be arranged in the paper delivery direction. By arranging a plurality of rotary blade units in the transport direction, it becomes possible to vary the width of the scraps.

[0073] The image forming system according to the above embodiment includes an image forming device that forms an image on paper, and the above-mentioned paper processing device that processes the paper on which the image has been formed by the image forming device. Therefore, by adopting the above-mentioned paper processing device, it is possible to form an inline image forming system that incorporates a slitter or the like that adjusts the scrap width as a single functional unit.

[0074] <Supplementary information> Although the embodiments and modifications of the paper processing device and the image forming system equipped therewith according to the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. The present invention also includes forms obtained by various modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments and modifications within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0075] The present invention is useful as a technique for preventing rotation of a moving guide member that supports a sheet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Image forming system 20 Variable width slitter 23.24.25.26 Cutter 31, 32, 33, 34 Rotation axis 70 Blade Case 71 Upper case 72 Lower case 100 Image forming device 200 Paper handling device 210 Paper transport unit 231a, 241a, 251a, 261a Upper cutter blade 231,241,251,261 Upper blade unit 232a, 242a, 252a, 262a Lower cutter blade 232,242,252,262 Bedknife Unit 45,46 Fixed guide member 50 Moving guide member 60 Anti-rotation member 61 Side panel U1, U2, U3, U4 Functional units X Rotary Blade Unit

Claims

1. A paper processing device that processes paper using a rotary blade, a rotary blade unit that supports the rotary blade rotatably around a rotation shaft and is movable in an axial direction of the rotation shaft; a guide member supported by the rotary shaft and configured to guide a portion of the paper; a rotation prevention member that prevents rotation of the guide member, The anti-rotation member is provided in the rotary blade unit.

2. 2. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation stopper is provided on a side surface of the end of the rotary blade unit in the direction of the rotation axis.

3. 2. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation stopper is provided on a side plate provided at an end of the rotary blade unit in the direction of the rotation axis, and the rotation stopper is provided parallel to the rotation axis.

4. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary blade unit includes a housing that houses the rotary blade.

5. 2. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation-stop member is provided on a side plate of the rotary blade unit in the direction of the rotation axis in parallel with the rotation axis, and the guide member is a slidable member.

6. 6. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide member is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction within the range of the axial length of the rotation prevention member.

7. 2. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member is movable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft by a spring member disposed on the rotary shaft.

8. 2. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member and a plurality of rollers are provided on both sides of the rotary blade unit in the direction of the rotation shaft so as to be slidable on the rotation shaft.

9. 9. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the guide member is provided adjacent to the rotary blade unit, and the rollers are provided on the opposite side of the guide member from the rotary blade unit.

10. 10. The paper processing device according to claim 9, wherein the guide member is movable in the axial direction of the rotation shaft by a spring member arranged on the rotation shaft, and the spring member is arranged between the rotary blade unit and the guide member, and between members on the opposite side of the guide member from the rotary blade unit.

11. 11. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a combined spring constant of the spring member disposed on the opposite side of the guide member from the rotary blade unit is set to be larger than a spring constant of the spring member disposed between the guide member and the rotary blade unit.

12. a unit housing supporting the rotation shaft, 2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation stopper is provided in a partial area of ​​the rotation shaft supported by the unit housing.

13. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the rotary blade units are arranged on the rotation shaft.

14. 14. The paper processing device according to claim 13, wherein the rotation stop members are provided on the opposing sides of the rotary blade units adjacent to each other on the rotation axis, and the rotation stop members provided on the opposing sides are offset in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis to avoid interference with each other.

15. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the rotary blade units are arranged in the paper transport direction.

16. 16. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the width of the scraps is variable by a plurality of the rotary blade units arranged in the transport direction.

17. 17. An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet; and the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, for processing the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming apparatus.

Images